New Suspension

Got the bike back Wednesday from the shop. The valve clearances were all
in spec (25,000 miles and first check). Had the front Wilbers springs
installed (I'd already put the custom Wilbers shock on the back),
Silkolene 10w synth oil flushed into the forks, new steering head
bearings (didn't really need them, but I had them already and the shop
was going to be tearing into the front end anyway), and a few odds and ends.

Rode it home and the ride was pretty harsh. I figured that dialing in
the compression (CD) and rebound (RD)damping would address this, so
today was the start of that process.

Before heading out to do a few errands, I decided the best place to
start was to set everything back to OEM standard settings.

CD 12 clicks
RD 12 clicks

What I found was:
CD (L&R) 7 clicks (from my setup based on OEM springs and Silkolene 10 w
synth fork oil)
RD (L) 7 clicks (R) 3 clicks (yikes! should have been 7 clicks for both)

FYI a lower number of clicks is a harder setting on the suspension.

This has always been a concern for me because of how easy the RD is to
set. It's a thumb wheel that can be easily accessed and changed; great
when setting up the bike but perhaps too easy to nudge out of whack when
working on the bike (or random ne'er-do-wells ambling by with death in
their hearts).

With everything set back to default, off I went to take care of those
errands (the long route). I did some local connectors and lager side
streets and found the bike a little bouncy in the front. The front end
dive was nearly non-existent (good). I made a few stops along the way to
drop things off at the post office, etc., so that the bike went through
a few short cooling cycles too. I then did some curvy bits and them some
Interstate. I found the front still a little bouncy on the pavement
seams until I got up to about 90. From there on up the bike got very
smooth and compliant (not harsh yet still feeling very controlled).

After that, I went back to some higher speed sweepers, a few more
twists, and local connectors (all at slower, posted and below, speeds).
This time the bike had lost a lot (if not all) of the bounciness that it
had to at the beginning. My take is that everything had a chance to
seat and the new fork oil got circulated around and warmed up.

Conclusion? Starting back at scratch with the RC and CD settings
resulted in a major improvement over either the same settings or the
"tuned" settings with the 2003 OEM Tigger Tails in the forks. Fine
tuning them is just a matter of patience and time but I'm confident that
the end results will be pretty amazing.

 

Got the bike back Wednesday from the shop. The valve clearances were all
in spec (25,000 miles and first check). Had the front Wilbers springs
installed (I'd already put the custom Wilbers shock on the back),
Silkolene 10w synth oil flushed into the forks, new steering head
bearings (didn't really need them, but I had them already and the shop
was going to be tearing into the front end anyway), and a few odds and
ends.
Rode it home and the ride was pretty harsh. I figured that dialing in
the compression (CD) and rebound (RD)damping would address this, so
today was the start of that process.
Before heading out to do a few errands, I decided the best place to
start was to set everything back to OEM standard settings.
CD 12 clicks
RD 12 clicks
What I found was:
CD (L&R) 7 clicks (from my setup based on OEM springs and Silkolene 10 w
synth fork oil)
RD (L) 7 clicks (R) 3 clicks (yikes! should have been 7 clicks for both)
FYI a lower number of clicks is a harder setting on the suspension.
This has always been a concern for me because of how easy the RD is to
set. It's a thumb wheel that can be easily accessed and changed; great
when setting up the bike but perhaps too easy to nudge out of whack when
working on the bike (or random ne'er-do-wells ambling by with death in
their hearts).
With everything set back to default, off I went to take care of those
errands (the long route). I did some local connectors and lager side
streets and found the bike a little bouncy in the front. The front end
dive was nearly non-existent (good). I made a few stops along the way to
drop things off at the post office, etc., so that the bike went through
a few short cooling cycles too. I then did some curvy bits and them some
Interstate. I found the front still a little bouncy on the pavement
seams until I got up to about 90. From there on up the bike got very
smooth and compliant (not harsh yet still feeling very controlled).
After that, I went back to some higher speed sweepers, a few more
twists, and local connectors (all at slower, posted and below, speeds).
This time the bike had lost a lot (if not all) of the bounciness that it
had to at the beginning. My take is that everything had a chance to seat
and the new fork oil got circulated around and warmed up.
Conclusion? Starting back at scratch with the RC and CD settings
resulted in a major improvement over either the same settings or the
"tuned" settings with the 2003 OEM Tigger Tails in the forks. Fine
tuning them is just a matter of patience and time but I'm confident that
the end results will be pretty amazing.
--
Mark Johnson, Ft. Worth, TX, RCOS#7, EOB http://www.bikes-n-spikes.org
Save your breath. You'll need it to blow up your date.
- -
- -
Say Mark, I know I should remember what kinda bike your describing
above, but would you repeat it for this ole Dude, I read your stuff
above,and Lordy,it didn't make too much sense from what all your're
having to do, to get your motorcycle ready to Ride, and go some place.
It just seems so complicated, Wow. thanx- - bjay

 

"Say Mark, I know I should remember what kinda bike your describing
above, but would you repeat it for this ole Dude, I read your stuff
above,and Lordy,it didn't make too much sense from what all your're
having to do, to get your motorcycle ready to Ride, and go some place.
It just seems so complicated, Wow. thanx- - bjay"

1. FJR1300

2. There's always a link to my web site in all my messages. Down there
in the sig block below the "-" divider.

3. Not a "required thing to get it ready to ride" as I could have gone
for a ride any time before I stated taking things apart. At 26,000 miles
the suspenders were getting worn and needed replacing. I went with
custom fit Wilbers front and back. (http://www.wilbersusa.com/)
Specifically the 640 with remote preload adjuster in the back
(http://www.bikes-n-spikes.org/mods/susp/wilbers01.jpg)

4. Having an adjustable suspension means that you adjust it for your
specific requirements (which is what I was describing in the original
post) after installing the new suspension).

5. I replaced the suspension on my 98 Wing at only 10,000 miles for the
same reason. OEM suspensions are typically too soft and, when getting a
few miles on them, get even worse. Honda calls the GL1500 Wing
suspension "plush"; what most people (other than the DQ set) would call
"mushy".

6. The other things I've been doing at periodic maintenance issues
(lubing pivot points like the center stand, side stand, shifter and
brake linkages and so forth). These are things are are not complicated
but take time.

7. To have a shop do the work that I did to the back end of the bike
might well have cost over a grand in labor and a buck in lube. I ran out
of time for the front end, so had the shop do that when they were doing
the 26,000 mile valve clearance check.

8. I had to cut-and-paste your question because your separator between
quoting and talking is a "-" which tells everyone's software that
anything below it can be removed as just a signature block (like mine
below). A different delineator like a "* * *" might work better.

 

There's always a link to my web site in all my messages. Down there in
the sig block below the "-" divider.
3. Not a "required thing to get it ready to ride" as I could have gone
for a ride any time before I stated taking things apart. At 26,000 miles
the suspenders were getting worn and needed replacing. I went with
custom fit Wilbers front and back. (http://www.wilbersusa.com/)
Specifically the 640 with remote preload adjuster in the back
(http://www.bikes-n-spikes.org/mods/susp/wilbers01.jpg)~~~~~mark
johnson~~
- -
- -
''Of course, that's what I'll do.
Seems to make sense, pretty good task ya got going, but saves money, and
it's kinda fun to do stuff, on the bikes. I do a little, but am lucky to
have a Son amd sonNlaw, to keep me up and running.
I change oil, and ck tire pressure, air filter. change plugs, shine on
it, but fix them a burger, and they come out and do the serious stuff,
not bad HUH? Randy, ma sonNlaw, installed the new ''starter button''
yesterday, for me. It wasn't hard, but took about hour or more. I bought
him a nice lunch at Dixie Diner....hehehe
bjay--

 

So d'ja "straw boss" for him so he didn't get lonely while he was
working? ;-)